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Picking subjects R.E. secondary school teaching + Qs

  • 18-08-2012 12:38am
    #1
    Nicole.
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭


    Hi, I just got my results on Wednesday. I'll be doing arts in UCC (it's my first choice) I'm wondering if my subject choices are wise in regards to demand: English, Geography and History.

    I'm pretty sure I'd do English and Geography as my double major and History in first year. Although up until my results on Wednesday I wanted to do English and History as my double major. I got an A2 in both English and Geography and a C1 in History (all higher level). Would I be more employable with English and Geography than English and History? I was told that English and History don't combine very well, is that true? Going by that logic neither does English and Geography, would this really count against me in a job interview?

    I'm under no illusions about my job prospects in Ireland. If I moved abroad and found employment there, and after a few years moved back home would I move up the pay scale even though the work did not take place in Ireland?

    When you're applying for a job in secondary teaching do they look at your leaving cert results at all or just your degree, or both?

    I'm really interested in teaching, I always find myself teaching people new things and it being rewarding so I really want this to work. Any advice would be appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,382 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Only your degree will matter when you are getting a job. You're probably better off with Geography rather than History. There are more than 25,000 doing Geography for LC each year in comparison to History where there's only about 11,000 according to this years statistics. Just in terms of employability Geography is a better bet.


  • #3
    Chris68
    Registered Users Posts: 144 ✭✭Chris68


    I think Geography and History are being affected by the changes to the JC. Not sure what exactly the change is - not my subjects. Something like they are being combined into one subject???


  • #4
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,382 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Chris68 wrote: »
    I think Geography and History are being affected by the changes to the JC. Not sure what exactly the change is - not my subjects. Something like they are being combined into one subject???

    New JC curriculum which is being piloted in a few schools from this year, limits a student to a max of 8 subjects. They are also bringing in short courses which will equate to roughly 1/2 a regular subject. Short courses will be assessed internally in schools with no formal state exam at the end. Students will have a choice to do

    8 regular subjects
    7 regular subjects + 2 short courses
    6 regular subjects + 4 short courses

    Those choices will of course be dictated by what a school offers. If English, Irish and Maths are still compulsory, it limits a student to 5 more subjects max, which means most other subjects currently available will be optional. I suspect History and Geography will fall into the optional category in most schools. NCCA are producing a range of short courses but schools are also free to devise their own, which is where some schools might put History and Geography.


  • #5
    Nicole.
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭Nicole.


    Thanks for the replies, it seems most teachers will be affected by the changes to the JC course all I can do is hope. Geography is fairy popular so I should be okay, better than my prospects with history. It's such a shame when the job that you want more than anything in the world has such poor employment rates isn't it?


  • #6
    RH149
    Registered Users Posts: 349 ✭✭RH149


    You shouldn't base your decision just on what you got in your LC in those subjects as you still did well in History and its better to be teaching subjects you enjoy rather than how you did in one exam years ago (it will be 'years ago' by the time you start teaching!). However History and English has always been a very popular combination, especially in the H Dip / PGDE and there has always been an oversupply of History and English teachers so if you think you'd enjoy English and Geography than that's probably a wiser choice in terms of career.
    Really not sure of where you would start on the payscale if you've taught abroad but I know a number of teachers who taught abroad while on career break and those years don't count for salary or pension. Things may have changed recently though, especially with the unfair conditions for NQTs.


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